FAQs
Q: Recommended fountain pen inks ? Especially for G nib fountain pens?
A: Pilot inks. i.e. Iroshizuku series...These are well behaved and aren’t acidic.
G nibs remain smooth for over a year with Iroshizuku. They wear out, won't keep the needle point forever. $1 to replace, no complaints. Since the series inks are mostly blendable with each other, you will have unlimited color choices. They have a nice sheen, proof of their dyes high quality.
To get started, avoid in house / novelty inks, if their products don't have any shiny sheen but are more matte paint-like sheen, the quality of dye and other ingredients may be questionable. Avoid fragranced inks, they can contain alcohol ammonia or something which make ink won't stay in the feeder. You can explore+enjoy these short live fancy inks but not as a first pick.
Q: Recommended extras for maintenance?
A: Silicone grease, syringe and a nice notepad! etc!
Q: Resin quality?
A: Our resin has strong shock resistance, is made in small batches and has a pearly, shimmery look. Its quality is much tougher than acrylic acetate, polymer resin, carbonate.., which are inexpensive and common in mass production.
Q: Do eyedropper fountain pens cause ink drops?
A: TASCA's eye dropper has no ink blobs or burping when maintained according to our tips. It's unusual for large droplets to form during normal writing/drawing with TASCA.
Generally, when exposed to the warmth of your hand, the heated air pushes ink out of the eyedropper barrel and that could result in overflow in a cooler room. That's one of the reasons we recommend inks well calculated surface tension i.e. patented Pilot inks.
For leaks from nib section area, an improperly attached nib section can cause leakage because of air entering the barrel. Make sure checking for crack/loose things.
Q: Any low maintenance way to use fountain pens?
A: Try to use one type/line of well-behaved ink for each pen, and use frequently. Use a soft hand, meaning the nib tip touches the paper with barely any pressure, except for downstrokes with a flex nib. Avoid bad behaviors, #6 yellow dye inks.
For G nibs - Noticable scratchiness generally doesn't happen from writing/pushing down on the nib. Again, the key for to low maintenance is to avoid acidic ink including calligraphy inks. Otherwise, wash your nib with soapy water before its next use.
Q: Can I use pigmented ink?
A: TASCA Flex (G nib, larger ink flow) is made for pigmented inks so it's okay, also okay to add sprinkles of gold mica into the barrel. Pearl Ex is pH neutral.
Rohrer & Klingner's SketchINK is our go-to favorite, but some are too lubricated (Lotte / black) for slower writing, although it should settle by the next day. This black ink is absolutely suitable for sketching or drawing, such is why it might be designed that way... & another good news, pigmented inks won't stain.
Q: What is the bead for?
A: TASCA Flex (eye dropper) comes with a glass bead to agitate pigments or shimmers. The rattling sound will tell you how much ink is remaining.
Q: Nibs don't stay securely after swapping.
A: Add a shim if the fit is loose, this method is often done by knowledgeable collectors and repairers. Note that the size of nibs vary. Zebra Titanium G is slightly smaller diameter than Zebra G nib, Nikko G is larger diameter than Zebra G... 0.01mm thing.
Q: I can’t get ink to flow properly.
A: There are suspects...If the pen looks like okay, the feeder may be clogged. Time to rinse / clean...or replace it.
Some enlarge the channel by small carving knife for avoiding (particles) clogged.
Or accidentally the nib tipping is glease coated. ✓ Gently wipe it with soap.
Or the tipping is uneven or split (G nib) ✓ fine-polish the nib tip until symmetrical, or time to replace.
Or fiber caught in tines, ink issues, a shorter nib?
Q: Eyedropper vs Cartridge?
A: Rubato's eyedropper holds more ink, up to 3ml. Our reusable short cartridge has lower ink capacity at 0.7ml with good portability. As it isn't high tech, repairing is easier and less costly.
Q: How to use a cartridge?
A: Make sure the feeder's stem is pushed into the cartridge and connected, and snugly everything fits in the nib section. Cartridges are washable and refillable by syringe.
Q: Titanium vs Steel ?
Density comparison:
titanium 4.43 g/cm³(Ti-6Al-4V)
iron 7.86 g/cm³
stainless steel 8.0 g/cm³ (304)
rhodium 12.4 g/cm³
gold 19.3 g/cm³
iridium 22.56 g/cm³
Titanium wears down faster than stainless steel. Gold is always nice but with a limited budget/tough uses, steel with a iridium tipping is fine.
G nib has chrome plated and titanium plated options. My experience: titanium version may corrode less, but both last well when avoiding acidic ink.
Q: How does DIPPELIN do?
A: Since it's pocket sized, have fun carrying it around. Even room to room. It’s a dip pen with a cap, installed with an adjustable adaptor to hold 5mm metal or glass pen nibs and brushes. It comes with a student or pro quality miniature brush. Pro quality miniature brushes are for fine details and suitable for all media i.e. watercolor, gouache, enamel, as long as maintained well after usage.
Q: How can I insert my favorite brush into DIPPELIN?
A: When you want to replace the brush, cut off a new brush’s handle with pruning shears, approx 5mm and long enough to hold. Insert it in the supplied silicon tube. Adjust the metal adaptor’s 4 prongs, then insert from the bottom securely.
Q: Can I use it for nail art? Or Miniature art?
A: Yeah! You can use Dippelin with our Pro brush or your own quality brush. Or size 0 of Windsor & Newton's series 7, it is perfect for botanical art. The pen's grip is thick and ergonomic, while the nib length is also adjustable.
ENDs